Team Anna secular, asserts Arvind Kejriwal

As Congress once again whipped up Anna’s close links with the RSS, one of Team Anna’s key leader Arvind Kejriwal on Monday joined Mumbai’s Muslim clerics to dismiss the allegations, reiterating that India Against Corruption, “was never a communal organisation and never had any links with political party or organisation like RSS.”

Speaking to newspersons after his two-hour meeting with the clerics, Kejriwal said communalism is a greater menace than corruption in the country.

“ I fully agree with minorities that in our country communalism is a bigger problem than corruption and we have to weed it out from the roots,” Kejriwal, wearing a topi, said.
“However, we in IAC are fully aware of the menace (of communalism). We are taking one step at a time.”

“Corruption, which does not see religion...harasses everybody. And, in fact, minorities face more corruption than anybody else,” he further added.

On late Sunday, Kejriwal was refused a meeting with Muslim leaders at Islam Gymkhana in the backdrop of the Congress pointing to reports that Anna worked with RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh.

Kejriwal rubbished the allegations of communalism and casteism by stating that people in Ralegan Siddi collected money to free bonded dalits under Anna’s leadership.

Also speaking on the occasion, one of the clerics, Maul­ana Dariyabadi, endorsed IA­C’s objectives of getting an effective Lokpal Bill.